AUTHOR=Frank Benjamin Pascal , Theil Clara Magdalena , Brill Nathalie , Christiansen Hanna , Schwenck Christina , Kieser Meinhard , Reck Corinna , Steinmayr Ricarda , Wirthwein Linda , Otto Kathleen , The COMPARE-family Research Group , Gilbert Kristin , Stracke Markus , Klose Christina , Krisam Johannes , Pohl Moritz , Buntrock Claudia , Ebert David Daniel , Margraf Jürgen , Schneider Silvia , Stark Rudolf , Metzger Julia , Glombiewski Julia , Schröder Anette , Heider Jens , Rief Winfried , Eitenmüller Pia TITLE=Leave Me Alone With Your Symptoms! Social Exclusion at the Workplace Mediates the Relationship of Employee's Mental Illness and Sick Leave JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health VOLUME=10 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.892174 DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.892174 ISSN=2296-2565 ABSTRACT=

Although a substantial part of employees suffers from a mental illness, the work situation of this population still is understudied. Previous research suggests that people with a mental illness experience discrimination in the workplace, which is known to have detrimental effects on health. Building on the stereotype content model and allostatic load theory, the present study investigated whether employees with a mental illness become socially excluded at the workplace and therefore show more days of sick leave. Overall, 86 employees diagnosed with a mental disorder were interviewed and completed online-surveys. Path analyses supported the hypotheses, yielding a serial mediation: The interview-rated severity of the mental disorder had an indirect effect on the days of sick leave, mediated by the symptomatic burden and the social exclusion at the workplace. In the light of the costs associated with absenteeism the present paper highlights the harmfulness of discrimination. Organizations and especially supervisors need to be attentive for signs of exclusion within their teams and try to counteract as early as possible.